Khine lives with her parents, daughter, and brother in a town near Yangon, Burma. Her daughter is a homemaker and looks after her parents, while her brother works in a sewing factory. Khine used to work as a street vendor but stopped in August when she was no longer able to see well enough to work.
Around 2018, Khine’s left eye became itchy and painful. Unable to afford treatment at a clinic or hospital, she used traditional medicine after her friend recommended a traditional medicine clinic for eye ailments. In October 2021, the pain and itchiness in her left eye increased and the vision in he right eye was blurry. She went to a hospital in Yangon, where the doctor diagnosed her with cataracts in both her eyes. Although she was referred to another hospital where eye surgery is affordable, the waiting list was very long and she was told it could take up to a year for her to be scheduled for surgery. With the help of our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), she underwent cataract surgery on her left eye in October. She is scheduled to undergo cataract surgery on her right eye at BCMF’s care center KBC Hospital on December 14th and needs support to fund her treatment.
Currently, the vision in Khine’s right eye is so blurry that she can only see shapes. Since her first surgery, the vision in her left eye is very clear and she is feeling a renewed sense of hope for her future. Khine shared, “I would like to work as a vendor again when I can see well after surgery.”